Miami Vice: Second Chances
by mjcmmv
Summary: This was the most important case of Sonny Crockett's career. He was determined to see it to the end and get a dangerous shooter off the streets of Miami.


SECOND CHANCES

It was an opportunity Sonny couldn't pass up. The traffic light changed, and he eased the

Testarossa out into the intersection. When he saw the empty roadway snaking like a ribbon into the distance, he let the powerful engine roar to life.

_What a rush! _

He never got tired of the feeling. It was over too soon, but he knew it was late and he had to touch base with the team. When he got to OCB, he parked near Rico's blue Caddy and walked nonchalantly into the building.

It was a typical morning. Castillo's office door was closed, but he could see the lights were on. Gina was at her desk, but she was mad at him for something-he couldn't remember what-so she was ignoring him. He didn't bother with a wave or joke. She wasn't too friendly lately and it wasn't worth the effort.

There was a chill in the office. He could feel the tension. He'd been undercover for a few weeks, so he hadn't seen the crew in a while. The unfriendly atmosphere was upsetting him a little.

Switek was on the phone. Tubbs was, too. Sonny saw his partner look up and he gave him a wave. Rico was absorbed in a conversation but managed a nod. "Yeah, that's right. Yeah, okay. I got it. The kid was found where?" He saw Rico jot down some notes on a pad. His partner looked annoyed.

"Is it worth going at this point? I mean, you said the kid's dead, right? Oh, a girl. A girlfriend? So, she has some information? You think it's worth my while questioning her? Yeah, okay. I'll be there in a few." He hung up, grabbed his car keys and headed for the swinging doors.

"Hey, partner? Wait up," Sonny called out. He needed to update him on a case they had closed awhile back.

He saw Trudy grab Rico's sleeve as he passed. "Rico. How are you doing?"

"I'm okay. Thanks, hon."

"How about a drink after work."

Sonny saw Rico smile. "Sure. I could use the company."

Sonny chuckled. He'd have to ask Rico what _that_ was all about. Rico and Trudy rarely hung out together.

The phone on his desk was ringing and Sonny grabbed the receiver as Rico bolted out the door. "Rico!" he shouted. His partner kept going.

"Damn! Wait up, buddy," he muttered. "Yeah?" he said into the receiver.

"You're needed, Crockett. Go to seventeenth and Fuchs and be there in twenty minutes. It's important."

Sonny rubbed his chin, feeling the hint of stubble on his fingertips. "Important, huh?"

"Yes. Very."

"Okay, I'm on my way."

By the time he got out to the parking lot, Rico's caddy was already gone. "Man! What the hell! Why didn't he wait?" Then he remembered he had another assignment. He glanced down at the slip of paper with the address he'd copied down. Without another thought, he got into the car and pulled out into traffic.

He slowed down when he saw the accident. It was hard to look at the scene without cringing. A car was over-turned; two broken bodies were strewn like rag dolls in the gutter. An ambulance was just pulling up. Two police cars with revolving red lights, were parked haphazardly in the street. Both were empty. He saw an officer bending over one of the accident victims.

"Damn. He's just a kid!" the cop was saying. Sonny glanced down and closed his eyes. A young boy, around the same age as his son Billy, was lying there, covered with blood. His eyes were open, just staring. The other victim was moaning. The EMT's were assessing him and trying to reassure the guy.

Sitting on the curb was a young girl. She was crying and was also covered with blood. She was all alone. Instinctively, he made his way over to her.

"Hey," he said. "It's gonna be okay." She kept on crying. Sonny sat on the curb and put his arm around her. "Are you hurt?" He was surprised no one was checking her over.

"I hit my head." she sobbed. She touched her forehead. "I was in the back. I had my seatbelt on. Jamie didn't. Oh, God!"

Sonny glanced over at the EMT's struggling to stabilize one of the victims. "Is that Jamie?" he asked, pointing over to the guy writhing in pain.

"No. That's Steve, my boyfriend. Jamie's my brother He's over there." She pointed to the dead boy. "Steve was driving. Damn him. He was high."

Sonny could feel the anger starting to build. He took her hand and squeezed.

He noticed Rico's blue caddy pulling over. "How about that. We're on the same case," he said. Now, maybe they'd have time to talk and clear the air.

"What's your name," he asked the girl.

"Joanne," she answered.

"What drug did your boyfriend take, Joanne?"

She took a deep breath. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Look, hon. I know you want to protect him, but he caused this accident. And it's important you tell the EMT's what drug is in his system."

Another car arrived. Gina and Trudy piled out and began to walk over to Sonny and the girl.

"Maybe she'll respond to one of them." He let go of Joanne's hand and smiled at Gina. She ignored him.

"_Now's not the time for this petty nonsense,"_ he thought as he moved away. She brushed passed him and sat next to Joanne. Trudy shook her head. She looked disgusted.

"At least she's on my side!"

An EMT was making his way over to the girl. He eased her down to the ground and put a collar around her neck. "She has to go to Jackson. Looks like she has a bad head injury," he said.

She was screaming. "No, no! I don't want to leave Steve and Jamie!"

Gina was trying to calm her down, but as the screaming got louder, she seemed to be losing patience. "Okay, the guys will be in the other ambulance. You'll all be in the same ER, so you'll be close to them."

Joanne continued to struggle so Sonny walked over and looked into her eyes. "Would it make you feel better if I rode with you in the ambulance?"

"Would you?" She was hiccoughing but at least the screaming had stopped.

Sonny glanced at Gina. She was staring at the ground, but she seemed relieved. "A thank you would be nice," he muttered.

They loaded the girl into the ambulance and Sonny climbed on board. "Okay, there you go," he said, sitting next to her.

"Don't leave me," she said. Her tearful eyes were shining up at him.

"I won't. I promise."

They talked on the way to the hospital.

"Jamie looked bad," she said. Sonny didn't think it would do her any good to tell her he was gone. "They were working on him." He changed the subject. " You have to be calm. You banged your head pretty hard and getting upset isn't good for you right now."

The EMT was on the other side of the stretcher and nodded. "Ya need to keep calm, hon." He began to take her blood pressure. She looked up at Sonny and he grinned. "See. Told ya."

When he took her hand, her shoulders sagged. The EMT wanted her to stay awake. "Tell me about Steve," Sonny said.

She told him how much she loved her boyfriend and they were planning to get married. She added her parents weren't happy about their relationship, but she didn't care. They'd elope if they had to.

"So, does he have a job?"

"Well, no. Not yet. But he had several interviews this week. He thinks the Home Depot guy was impressed."

"Home Depot?" He looked down at her. "How old are you, hon?"

"Seventeen."

"And Steve?"

"He's nineteen. He has one more semester and he'll have degree in computer science." Sonny wanted to suggest she wait until Steve was gainfully employed but realized now was not the time.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Sonny, " he answered. "Sonny Crockett. I'm a cop. I deal with people in trouble with drugs."

"Put them in jail, you mean," she said. Her tone had turned bitter.

"Not always. I find ways to help, too. Was Steve dealing?"

"He didn't discuss it with me, but he wants to get married and we're broke. I'm afraid he might have been considering it."

"Tell me about tonight."

"We met up with this bad dude. I didn't like him. I told Steve we should leave. Jamie didn't want to stay either."

Now Sonny paid close attention. "Oh, yeah? Does this dude have a name?"

"I … I think I heard Steve call him Rivieras."

Sonny's blood ran cold. These kids were involved with a _really _bad dude. "Was Rivieras alone?"

She glanced up at him. "No. There were two other guys. They had guns."

"Yeah, I'll bet they did."

"You know them?"

"Yeah. I do. They're not guys you want to be meeting up with. Those guys are bad news."

They arrived at the hospital and the ambulance was backing into the ER bay. "You're going to come with me, right?" she pleaded.

"Sure. Do you want me to call your parents?"

She didn't react well. "No!"

"If I don't, the other officers will. Maybe I can soft pedal it for you." He could tell she was mulling it over.

"Okay," she said finally. "Thanks, Sonny."

He watched them pull the stretcher out of the ambulance and roll into the ER. "I'll be right there, Joanne," he called.

He found a phone on the wall in the waiting area and dialed the number the girl gave him.

Rico and Gina drove into the ER parking lot.

"How do you want to handle this? The girl's pretty fragile."

"If we don't question her now, she'll lawyer up and we'll never get anything out of her. You start it off. She'll be more comfortable with you."

Gina sighed. "I already tried to calm her at the scene. She wasn't too receptive."

"Well, we'll just have to give it a try."

A nurse directed them toward the treatment area. Joanne was lying on a stretcher. Her eyes were closed. Another nurse was taking her blood pressure.

"You're not going to get much out of her, Detective. She's pretty confused."

Rico glanced at the girl. "Joanne?" She stirred then moaned. "Go away!" she murmured.

Gina took her hand. "Joanne, it's Gina. I was with you at the accident scene I need to ask you a few questions."

Joanne's eyes opened slowly. "My head hurts. I don't want to talk now."

"We know you and your friends made a drug buy tonight and things went bad. All we want to know is the name of the dealer."

"I'm not telling you anything." Joanne turned her head away. "I want the other guy. He says he'll help Steve and I trust him."

Gina sighed and looked over at Rico.

"Don't go to sleep, honey," the nurse was saying." She pulled out a penlight and was peering into the girl's eyes. Then, she shook her head.

"Jenny," she called out.

Another tired looking RN in scrubs pulled aside the yellow curtain.

"Her signs aren't good. We need to get her to Cat Scan."

Rico and Gina stepped out of the way to let the nurse get the young girl ready.

"Where's Sonny," the girl murmured. "He said he'd come back."

The nurse patted her arm. "If he promised, I'm sure he'll be here."

"Let's go to the waiting area," Rico said to Gina.

He saw a distraught woman burst into the ER and run to the reception desk. She was followed by a tall man trying to keep up with her.

"My daughter! Joanne Gibbons. And my son, James! They were in an accident. Please, please tell me where they are."

It took a few minutes before the waiting room door leading to the treatment area, opened and the couple were ushered inside.

"Now, things are really going to get hot," Gina said as she shook her head.

They followed the parents. A doctor had taken them aside. Gina looked at Rico. "I feel so sorry for them," she said. Then they heard the woman scream. "No! No!" The husband caught her before she sank to the floor.

Rico turned away. "We're not getting anything tonight." Gina agreed. They went to the nurse in charge and told her they'd be back. "Call us if the girl becomes more coherent."

"Okay, Detective."

Sonny parted the yellow curtain and slipped into the small enclosure. "I'm here."

Joanne opened her eyes and smiled. "Where did you go?"

"I called your mom and dad. Remember?"

"God!" Her voice was raw, but soft. "How did they take it?"

"How do ya think? Your Dad was frantic. They're on their way."

"Please stay when they come. My Dad has a temper."

Sonny took her hand. "This isn't my case, but other officers will be here to question you. I'll be right outside. I promise."

"I won't talk to them. You make me feel better."

"You know, Joanne, I know these officers. I know them very well. Rico's my partner and Gina is a sweetheart. They'll care about you, too. I promise."

When she started to cry, he stood and kissed her on the forehead. "I don't want you to get upset. That isn't good for you right now."

Joanne glanced at Sonny. "You married?" she asked.

"Not anymore," he said with a grin.

"You got kids?"

"Yes. A son. His name is Billy. He's seventeen."

"Same age as me!"

Sonny smiled. "Yeah. I know."

"Cool. Where's he go to school."

"He's not from around here. He lives in Atlanta with his mother."

"Ah, that's too bad. I'd like to meet him someday."

Sonny looked at her. "Maybe you can … someday." For some reason, the thought made him sad.

The transport crew had arrived. "Hi there. We're taking you for a Cat Scan, sweetheart."

"Sonny?"

"I'll be right here when you get back."

It didn't take long. She was back in thirty minutes. As soon as the transporter left, they heard loud voices on the other side of the curtain. Joanne gasped. "My parents are here! Don't go, please. You promised."

"I'm not going anywhere."

The girl's mother yanked the curtain aside. "Joanne! Baby!" she screamed. Sonny noticed the coldness in the father's eyes.

"Mom. Dad."

"Thank God!" Her mother flew to her side.

"Are you in pain?" her father asked.

"My head hurts."

"I'll bet. The police told us the car was totaled. It's a miracle you survived."

The girl was silent.

"Your brother's dead, you know."

"Jack. Please. Not now."

Joanne's eyes were wide.

"Why keep it a secret! Her boyfriend's responsible. So as far as I'm concerned, so is she!"

Sonny started to stand, trying to figure out a way to diffuse the situation, when the nurse arrived on the scene.

"I'll have to ask you to keep your voices down. I know this has been traumatic for both of you, but we have other patients in here. And, your daughter needs to stay calm. We have to keep her blood pressure down."

"Fuck this," Jack said. He turned and left without looking back.

"Mom, Jamie isn't dead! Dad was just trying to scare me, right!"

The mother was smart. "Yes. He's very angry, Joanne." Sonny saw the woman's eyes close against her tears. She bent over and kissed her daughter. "He'll cool down after a bit. Right now, he's in shock." She sat down on one of the plastic chairs.

"You can go out there with him, Mom. It's okay. Sonny's here."

Her mother frowned.

"He's a cop, but it's okay. He's been by my side the whole time. You should thank him, Mom." Joanne looked over at Sonny. Mary Gibbons followed her daughter's gaze.

"Mrs. Gibbons," Sonny said with a smile. She eyes widened. Then, she looked back at her daughter and patted her hand.

"Okay, honey. I'll step out for a minute, then. I need to talk to the doctor."

It was an odd response, but Sonny didn't blame her. It made sense she would be suspicious of the police after all that had happened. Most likely she feared he was questioning her daughter without a parent or counsel present.

But he was glad she'd left. Now was his chance. He had to get Joanne to cooperate. While she was in Cat Scan, he had overheard the doctor talking to Steve's parents and the news was not good. For now, she was the only witness, and if Steve died, the only one to testify. If she refused to cooperate, Rivieras would walk. He could never let that happen.

He was trying to figure out the best way to start when she looked at him and said, "She was lying to me, you know."

Sonny was surprised. The kid wasn't that confused.

"Jamie's dead. I know it."

Sonny shook his head. "I'm sorry, Joanne."

"Jamie came to talk to me when I was having the Cat Scan. He scared me at first; his head was bashed in and there was lots of blood. But he told me not to be afraid. He sat next to me and said he wasn't in any pain. I said I was glad. Then, he said he had died, and he'd come to say goodbye."

It was hard to listen to this. The pain in her voice stabbed his heart like a knife.

"He told me I had to speak up and cooperate with the police. But I told him I needed to protect Steve. He got a little angry with me. _'Joanne,'_ he said. _'Think this through. Steve's in trouble and you aren't helping him by being silent.'_ "I don't know, though, Sonny. I don't know what to do."

"They drew his blood in the ER, Joanne. When the police are told the results, he won't be able to deny it."

The girl was quiet. "Then they don't need to talk to me."

"Yes, they do. Blood tests won't tell the cops who sold those drugs to Steve. Your information will allow the police to put the dealer away."

"Steve can tell them." She looked up at him. He could see her defiance, but when she saw his expression, her eyes filled with tears. "He isn't going to make it either, is he?"

"No, Joanne. He's not."

"God," she whispered. "Why?"

He let her cry, then handed her the box of tissues. "Thanks." She blew her nose and sighed. "So, I guess that's what I have to do. Tell them what I know and what I saw."

"Good girl," Sonny said. "I'm proud of you. And your parents will be, too."

"I hope my Dad forgives me."

"You heard your Mom. He's in shock. He's lost his son."

"Poor Dad. And Poor Jamie." She blew her nose again. "I don't understand, Sonny. How come I was able to see my brother. Hear him. Was I hallucinating?"

"I don't think so, hon."

"So, you believe me?"

"Sure. Sometimes things happen that we can't explain. You were close to your brother. There was a strong connection there."

"I guess." She looked anxious. "I'm not going to tell Mom or Dad about it, though. They'll think I'm crazy."

He smiled at her. "Someday you will."

They had admitted the girl and the nurse said they'd be taking her up to her room. Sonny needed a break. "I have to go to the john," he whispered in her ear. "Let them get you settled, and I'll be back."

She shook her head. "Okay." Sonny hated leaving her. She looked so sad.

After hitting the men's room, he made his way to the lobby and spied a coffee machine. "Thank God!" he thought. He fed it some coins and hot brown liquid began to fill a Styrofoam cup. He picked it up and breathed in the aroma. Not as good as Swietek's, but at least it was hot. He thought about the girl lying inside as he sipped slowly.

"She needs protection," he muttered. He knew he better mention it to Rico. He headed for the elevator. He had heard she'd be going to room 503.

She was pulling the cotton blanket up around her chin when Sonny came into the room. He pulled up a chair. "I have to go, Joanne," he told her.

She panicked. "Can't you stay while they question me?" Then her face fell. "I'm sorry. I'm not being fair. You have a job, and you were here all night. You need sleep. You should go. I … I'll be okay."

"I know you will. You're a brave kid. And I know Rico and Gina will treat you well."

"If you see them before I do, tell them I'm sorry I gave them a hard time. Tell them I'm ready to talk."

"I will, honey."

"Will I see you tomorrow?"

"I don't think so. But, I'll try and stop by after you get home."

"Good." She kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Sonny. You've been a good friend."

Six hours had passed. The nurse called Rico to tell him Joanne was still a bit confused, but ready to open up. "Her parents will be with her. And, so will their lawyer."

"Great," he thought. "This will probably be a waste of time."

He called Gina's apartment. "I'll pick you up. Joanne Gibbons is ready to sing."

Gina was quiet on the ride to the hospital. They stopped at a light and Rico beat an impatient tattoo on the steering wheel. He glanced over at her. "Not saying much. Are you okay?"

"I had a bad night." She was staring out the passenger window. "And I have a headache. Otherwise, I'm okay, Rico."

"Good. Come out tonight with Trudy and me. We're having a drink at Bombay's."

"Maybe. We'll see."

He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, trying to get her to smile, but she wasn't having it.

"So, let's focus on the questions we're going to ask. From what the doctor told us last night, Joanne's going to be the only witness we have. If we're going to nail this sucker, we need to play it smart."

"Okay." Rico turned he head and stared out at the highway. "I think maybe you should be the lead," he said.

Joanne was in a private room. Jack and Mary Gibbons introduced themselves. The mother was limp, in shock. The father was on the warpath. He told them they better take it easy on Joanne. If they upset her, she might get into trouble-maybe even have a seizure. "Then, I'll sue your asses!" he growled. The lawyer, Joseph Collins, Esquire, nodded in agreement.

Gina just smiled. "Good morning, Joanne. How are you feeling?"

"Better. My head still hurts, but not as bad as last night."

"I'm glad." She pulled a chair close to the bedside. "I need to ask you a few questions. It's important you tell us everything you remember. Every little detail."

"I'll try. My memory's a little fuzzy, though."

"Just do your best. Start out by telling me how the evening started. Then, maybe the events will come together for you."

Joanne frowned. "It was eight o'clock. I was on the front porch with Jamie. Steve pulled up and asked us to hang out. Jamie likes him …" she stopped, and a tear trickled down her cheek. "He liked Steve," she continued. "I asked where we were going. Steve said the park over by the High School. We went there a lot."

She paused. "Can I have drink of water?" Mary Gibbons poured some ice water and handed it to her daughter. Joanne smiled at her. "Thanks, Mom." She drained the cup and continued. "There was a car there, waiting. These three guys got out and came over to the car. Steve said, ' Hey, Rivieras.'."

Rico's eyes widened. "Rivieras? Are you sure?"

"Yes. That's the name I heard."

Gina took over. "Tell us what happened then."

"This guy, Rivieras told Steve to get out. Jamie and I were scared. Steve followed Rivieras to his car and one of the men stayed with us. I saw Rivieras pop the trunk. Steve disappeared behind it and was there for about ten minutes. When he came back, his eyes looked crazy. He had this nutty grin on his face. And, he was carrying a satchel. I looked at him as he got behind the wheel. '_What the hell did you take?'_ I asked him. He told me to shut up. He said, _"I got what I came for. That's all you need to know."_

Gina heard Mary Gibbons gasp. Jack Gibbons gave her a look of warning.

"He never talked like that to me before. Jamie started to yell at him. Steve had a gun and he pointed it at Jamie. He told him to 'shut his trap'."

Joanne started to cry.

"Honey. Don't get yourself upset. You're not out of the woods yet." Mary moved closer to her daughter's bed.

"No, no. It's okay, Mom. I have to get this out now. The police have to get moving." She looked over at Gina. "I'm trying to remember," she said.

"I know you are. Take your time."

"He drove for a while until we got to this field. Another car was following, I guess. It pulled up next to us when we stopped. It was dark, so I couldn't see who it was. I heard a voice. "Hey, amigo, get out of the car.' Then, I knew it was Rivieras."

Rico grimaced. He knew what was coming.

"Steve looked mad." _'You double crossing me, Rivieras?'_ he asked."

"_It wasn't enough. You were short a couple thousand."_

"Steve was pissed." _'Now, wait a minute. I gave you the amount we agreed on. What is this? You ripping me off?'_

"Rivieras pulled out a gun." _'No. You're ripping me off!'_

Joanne shuddered. "I … I think I started to scream. Steve's car was still running. He floored the accelerator and shot out of the field. Rivieras caught up pretty quickly. Steve shouted at Jamie to take the gun and shoot at their car." _'Go for the tires. They'll fall back! It'll give me a chance to get to the highway.'_

"What did Jamie do?"

"At first, he said no, but when Rivieras hit our back bumper. He grabbed the gun and opened his window. I saw him aim and fire."

"Did he hit them?"

"I don't think he hit the tires, but Jamie was a good shot. He hit something. Steve was right. They fell back. We flew onto the highway on two wheels and sped off toward the next exit. When we got off, I saw dark streets and parked cars. I was relieved. At least we were back in a place where people would be walking around. After a few blocks, I glanced back through the rear window and saw Riviera's car gaining on us. Steve saw it, too. He cursed and floored the accelerator again."

Joanne closed her eyes. She was exhausted. "You're doing good, honey," Gina said to her. "This is a big help."

"Steve was speeding, running lights, swerving around corners. I was holding on to the arm rest. I was so scared. Jamie was still firing back at them, when Steve took a corner too fast and we began to spin. He hit another car and we flipped. The next thing I remember I was climbing out a window and sitting on the curb. There was blood everywhere."

"Do you think you could identify Rivieras in a line up? That would help us build a case against him."

Joanne looked up at her mother. Rico saw Mary Gibbons nod and squeeze her daughter's hand.

"Yes. I can do that."

Jack and Mary Gibbons walked out of the room with Rico and Gina. There was a guard posted outside Joanne's door. The idea had occurred to Rico last night and he'd made the arrangements before he went home.

They walked down to the lobby together. "Again, our condolences, Mr. and Mrs. Gibbons."

"I appreciate it, Detective." Jack Gibbons put his arm around his wife's shoulders.

"Our lawyer told us there won't be any charges against my daughter." Joanne's mother said.

"That's right, Mrs. Gibbons. She was with her boyfriend but there's no indications she was involved in the drug buy."

"Thank you," Jack said. Some of the ice had disappeared from the edges of his voice. It looked like the attitude they'd seen a short while ago, had softened. Rico realized the arrogance was nothing more than a father defending his child.

"Detective Tubbs," Mary said. She had put her hand on Rico's arm. "I want to thank the officer who was so kind to my daughter. He stayed with her in the ambulance and the ER. He talked to her about telling her story. He's the one who convinced her to speak out. I'm grateful to him. Can you tell me how I can reach him?"

Rico was puzzled. "Do you have a name," he asked.

"Joanne told me his name was Sonny. Sonny Crockett."

Gina grabbed Rico's arm in a vise-like grip. Rico swallowed. "Are you sure?" he asked, knowing full well the name didn't come out of thin air.

"Why yes. I think so. She said he had blond hair and she said he was pretty cute."

Rico's heart lurched. _Of course she'd say that _...

"What's the matter, Detective?"

It took Rico a long time to find his voice. "Detective Sonny Crockett was my partner. He was shot and killed three weeks ago."

Mary gasped. "How can that be? Joanne was so sure! Was it the head injury? I don't understand."

Gina had found a chair and sat down hard. She was crying. "Sonny," she moaned. Rico put his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm sorry," Jack said.

Rico nodded. He was still stunned.

"My partner was going to meet up with a dealer the night he was killed. The dealer's name was Rivieras. We don't have any evidence he pulled the trigger and without a witness or an informant, we probably never will. But now we … we have your daughter's statement." He looked up. "Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Gibbons. Joanne's information will go a long way in getting this bastard off the street."

"Of course. Again, we're sorry. Take care, Detective. You handled this well and my family is grateful."

"We'll see you soon. I hope your daughter makes a quick recovery."

Sonny had gone to the hospital lobby to wait for Rico and Gina. He had been there for over an hour. It hadn't been pleasant, standing there.

_Remembering_...

Things were coming back to him slowly, flooding his heart with dread. He closed his eyes and pictured that night on the pier. He could see them standing there. Rivieras and his two men. Waiting. For him.

He'd been stupid to go without backup. Rivieras must have been on to him. As soon as he saw their faces he knew. But before he could react, Rivieras shot him. Twice.

It was the bullet that pierced his heart that did it. He remembered feeling the life drain out of him. It didn't take long. He lay there and looked out at the water. The reflection of the city lights on the bay made him think of the St. Vitus Dance. He was glad it was the last thing he'd seen.

Sonny pushed himself away from the wall. He saw his partner and Gina talking to Joanne's parents and from the expression on their faces, he knew what was being said. He glanced out the glass windows and saw it was raining.

"I need a cigarette," he thought.

He walked out the main entrance and joined several other employees and a few patients, sneaking a smoke under the awning. He lit up and smiled at the woman standing next to him. She was in a hospital gown. She smiled back.

"Hi there," he said. "So, how long has it been for you?"

"They turned off my respirator an hour ago. All I could think about was getting out here and lighting up. Crazy, huh?"

"I know how ya feel," Sonny answered. "Don't know why I can't give them up."

"Doesn't really matter," she answered.

"No, I guess it doesn't, now."

She took his hand as if trying to comfort him and he gave her a grateful smile. He sighed, and leaned against one of the stone pillars while he watched the rain drench the Miami streets.


End file.
